Flat-plate heat pipe structure

ABSTRACT

A flat-plate heat pipe structure includes a main body. The main body has a first board body, a second board body, a first capillary structure and a working fluid. The first and second board bodies are overlapped and mated with each other. The first capillary structure is disposed between the first and second board bodies. The first capillary structure and the first and second board bodies together define at least one vapor passage. Accordingly, when the flat-plate heat pipe is thinned, the flat-plate heat pipe still keeps having a vapor passage, whereby the vapor-liquid circulation efficiency of the flat-plate heat pipe will not be deteriorated due to thinning.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a flat-plate heat pipestructure, and more particularly to a flat-plate heat pipe structurewith an extremely thin thickness.

2. Description of the Related Art

Currently, there is a trend to develop lightweight and thin electronicmobile devices. The lightweight and thin electronic mobile devices havehigher and higher operation performance. However, along with thepromotion of the operation performance and the reduction of the totalthickness of the electronic mobile device, the internal space of theelectronic mobile device for receiving electronic components is minifiedand limited. Moreover, when the operation performance is enhanced, theheat generated by the electronic components is increased. Therefore, aheat dissipation component is needed to help in dissipating the heatgenerated by the electronic components. However, due to the thinning ofthe electronic mobile device, the internal space of the electronicmobile device is so narrow that it is hard to arrange a heat dissipationcomponent such as a cooling fan in the electronic mobile device. Undersuch circumstance, only a copper thin sheet or an aluminum thin sheetcan be disposed to enlarge the heat dissipation area. However, this canhardly sufficiently enhance the heat dissipation efficiency.

In the conventional technique, a heat pipe or vapor chamber can bethinned and applied to the electronic mobile device. However, it is hardto fill powder into the thin heat pipe and sinter the powder. As aresult, an extremely thin electronic mobile device can be hardlyachieved. Also, after the powder is filled and sintered and when theheat pipe is flattened into a flat structure, the sintered powder orother capillary structure (mesh body or fiber body) in the heat pipewill be compressed and damaged to lose its function.

In addition, in order to more thin the conventional vapor chamber, theinternal support structure is often omitted. In this case, after thevapor chamber is vacuumed and sealed, the internal chamber of the vaporchamber is likely to deform. As a result, the internal vapor passage ofthe conventional thin heat pipe or vapor chamber will be contracted andminified or even disappear. This will affect the vapor-liquidcirculation efficiency of the heat pipe or vapor chamber. Therefore, ithas become a critical issue how to improve the internal vapor-liquidcirculation structure of the thin heat pipe and vapor chamber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide aflat-plate heat pipe structure having an ultrathin thickness. After theflat-plate heat pipe is thinned, the flat-plate heat pipe still keepshaving a vapor passage.

To achieve the above and other objects, the flat-plate heat pipestructure of the present invention includes a main body. The main bodyhas a first board body, a second board body, a first capillary structureand a working fluid. The first and second board bodies are overlappedand mated with each other. The first capillary structure is disposedbetween the first and second board bodies. The first capillary structureand the first and second board bodies together define at least one vaporpassage.

Accordingly, after the flat-plate heat pipe is thinned, the flat-plateheat pipe still keeps having a free vapor passage. Therefore, thevapor-liquid circulation of the working fluid in the thinned flat-plateheat pipe can be still successfully performed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present inventionto achieve the above and other objects can be best understood byreferring to the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a first embodiment of theflat-plate heat pipe structure of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional assembled view of the first embodiment of theflat-plate heat pipe structure of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional assembled view of a second embodiment of theflat-plate heat pipe structure of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional assembled view of a third embodiment of theflat-plate heat pipe structure of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional assembled view of a fourth embodiment of theflat-plate heat pipe structure of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view ofa first embodiment of the flat-plate heat pipe structure of the presentinvention. FIG. 2 is a sectional assembled view of the first embodimentof the flat-plate heat pipe structure of the present invention.According to the first embodiment, the flat-plate heat pipe structure ofthe present invention includes a main body 1.

The main body 1 has a first board body 11, a second board body 12, afirst capillary structure 13 and a working fluid 2 (as shown in FIG. 3).The first and second board bodies 11, 12 are overlapped and mated witheach other. The first capillary structure 13 is disposed between thefirst and second board bodies 11, 12. The first capillary structure 13and the first and second board bodies 11, 12 together define at leastone vapor passage 14.

The first capillary structure 13 is selected from a group consisting ofmesh body, fiber body, linear braided body and sintered powder body. Inthis embodiment, the first capillary structure 13 is, but not limitedto, sintered powder body for illustration purposes only. The thicknessof the first and second board bodies ranges from 0.01 mm to 0.15 mm.

In this embodiment, there is a pair of first capillary structures 13 andthe vapor passage 14 is formed between the two first capillarystructures 13.

Please now refer to FIG. 3, which is a sectional assembled view of asecond embodiment of the flat-plate heat pipe structure of the presentinvention. The second embodiment is partially identical to the firstembodiment in structure and technical characteristic and thus will notbe repeatedly described. The second embodiment is different from thefirst embodiment in that the main body 1 further has a second capillarystructure 15, a heat absorption section 16 and a heat dissipationsection 17. The second capillary structure 15 is multiple channels 151or braided mesh. The second capillary structure 15 is disposed in theheat absorption section 16. The channels 151 transversely andlongitudinally intersect each other. The second capillary structure 15is disposed on one side of the second board body 12 in adjacency to thefirst capillary structure 13. The channels 151 transversely andlongitudinally intersect each other so that the liquid working fluid 2can go back to the heat absorption section 16 in a radial direction Y ofthe main body 1.

Please now refer to FIG. 4, which is a sectional assembled view of athird embodiment of the flat-plate heat pipe structure of the presentinvention. The third embodiment is partially identical to the firstembodiment in structure and technical characteristic and thus will notbe repeatedly described. The third embodiment is different from thefirst embodiment in that the first capillary structure 13 is disposed atthe center of the main body 1 and extends in an axial direction X of themain body 1. The vapor passage 14 is disposed on two sides of the firstcapillary structure 13.

Please now refer to FIG. 5, which is a sectional assembled view of afourth embodiment of the flat-plate heat pipe structure of the presentinvention. The fourth embodiment is partially identical to the firstembodiment in structure and technical characteristic and thus will notbe repeatedly described. The fourth embodiment is different from thefirst embodiment in that the first capillary structure 13 is a complexcapillary structure. The main body 1 has a turning section 18. The heatabsorption section 16 and the heat dissipation section 17 are connectedwith the turning section 18. The first capillary structure 13 disposedin the heat absorption section 16 and the heat dissipation section 17 ismainly a sintered powder body 131, while the first capillary structure13 disposed in the turning section is a mesh body 132. In manufacturing,the first and second board bodies 11, 12 and the first capillarystructure 13 of the main body 1 are laminated and assembled and then theopen side of the main body 1 is sealed. Accordingly, the first andsecond board bodies 11, 12 can be first made with a bent form and thenthe first capillary structure 13 is disposed on either of the first andsecond board bodies 11, 12. Therefore, the problem of the conventionalheat pipe that the heat pipe is bent after formed so that the capillarystructure in the heat pipe will be damaged is solved.

The present invention has been described with the above embodimentsthereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in theabove embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scopeand the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only bythe appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A flat-plate heat pipe structure comprising amain body, the main body having a first board body, a second board body,a first capillary structure and a working fluid, the first and secondboard bodies being overlapped and mated with each other, the firstcapillary structure being disposed between the first and second boardbodies, the first capillary structure and the first and second boardbodies together defining at least one vapor passage.
 2. The flat-plateheat pipe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first capillarystructure is selected from a group consisting of mesh body, fiber body,linear braided body and sintered powder body.
 3. The flat-plate heatpipe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body further hasa second capillary structure, the second capillary structure beingmultiple channels or braided mesh.
 4. The flat-plate heat pipe structureas claimed in claim 3, wherein the channels transversely andlongitudinally intersect each other.
 5. The flat-plate heat pipestructure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the main body further has aheat absorption section and a heat dissipation section, the secondcapillary structure being disposed in the heat absorption section. 6.The flat-plate heat pipe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein thefirst capillary structure is disposed at a center of the main body andextends in an axial direction of the main body, the vapor passage beingdisposed on two sides of the first capillary structure.
 7. Theflat-plate heat pipe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mainbody has a pair of first capillary structures and the vapor passage isformed between the two first capillary structures.
 8. The flat-plateheat pipe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of thefirst and second board bodies ranges from 0.01 mm to 0.15 mm.
 9. Theflat-plate heat pipe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mainbody further has a heat absorption section, a heat dissipation sectionand a turning section, the heat absorption section and the heatdissipation section being connected with the turning section, the firstcapillary structure disposed in the heat absorption section and the heatdissipation section being a sintered powder body.